Silver Bayonet: The First Team in Vietnam, 1965 (25th Anniversary Edition)

About the game

What is Silver Bayonet: The First Team in Vietnam, 1965 (25th Anniversary Edition)?

Silver Bayonet recreates the pivotal November 1965 battle between a full North Vietnamese Army Division and the US 1st Air Cavalry Division in the Ia Drang Valley. NVA expertise in lure and ambush tactics resulted in significant US casualties. US mobility and the ability to bring massive amounts of firepower to bear quickly virtually destroyed the attacking NVA division and forced a change in NVA tactics. This re-issue of GMT Games' 1990 CSR Award winning title that started it all keeps the original operational system, but streamlines to it to include innovative combat resolution integrating maneuver combat, close assault, artillery bombardment, and support from gunships and air sorties. Increased accessibility to primary and secondary source material has made it possible to make changes to more accurately represent both sides' unique capabilities without significantly altering or breaking the base game system. The major changes involve patrols, ambushes, landing zones, and the 1st Cav Brigade HQ, while minor changes tweak movement, combat, and coordination game mechanics to showcase radically different strengths and weaknesses the FWA and NVA force brought to the battles in the Ia Drang Valley. —description from the publisher

How it plays

Mechanics

On the shelf

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Questions players ask

Questions to bring to BoardGameBrain

• How do setup and the first turn work in Silver Bayonet: The First Team in Vietnam, 1965 (25th Anniversary Edition)?
• When does scoring happen and what ends the game?
• How should the table resolve an unusual timing or rules interaction?